The Flashing Arrow
by Shimmer Popstar
Summary: There is only one thing that can save his life. The arrow that can..COULD kill. Sorry if Artie seems a little bit OOC. Please, PLEASE review!
1. At The Start

**The Flashing Arrow**

**One:**

Artemis Crock bit her lip and focused harder on her target. A certain somebody was egging her on in the background. The Bird-Boy.

She could do this. The arrow in her hand was practically starting to burn off her fingers. Her hand would should be up in smoke. She only had one chance. To save a life. With the most legendary-and dangerous- arrow in all of existence.

…...

It all started on Artemis' first day at Wayne Academy.

She'd never actually gone to a proper, public school before. And that was where the problem began.

''You'll be late for school now!'' groaned her mother, Paula Crock, checking the little golden watch on her bony, wrinkled wrist.

Artemis rolled her eyes and sighed as she tied her ponytail into a plait and straightened out the goofy-looking school tie.

''Proper school uniform...in _America_.'' she said crossly, glaring at the reflection in her small, looking-glass mirror in her make-up compact.

''Wayne Academy is so good for you though, you won't ever regret it, honey!'' exclaimed Paula as her daughter munched on a cereal bar.

''Huh. Yeah right, mum. This is gonna' be _so much fun_.'' snarled the young archer sarcastically.

''Think of the possibilities of marrying a rich and powerful man! Oh, sweetheart, I'm so-''

''I get it, stupid!''

Artemis just hated her mother when she was in this state. She hated the vain, envious and ''smiley-scary'' side. Her mother's villainous side. Huntress.

Artemis hugged Paula, picked up her bags and left, not wishing to start another row.

When she got to school, a short, skinny boy with crow-black hair and a mischievous smile headed towards her. He held out his hand. She shook it.

''The name's Dick Grayson- adoptive son of millionaire Bruce Wayne.'' he said.

''Artemis Crock. Got some random scholarship of your sort-of-dad.'' said Artemis.

''That's a nice name.''

''Now you just embarrassing me.''

''No. Seriously. Better watch out round here. All the boys are serious flirts. Especially-''

''The Wall-Man is here!''

Artemis freaked out. No way could an idiot like him be here! But he was.

''Who's this?'' asked Wally, pointing at Artemis and smiling like a real flirt.

Why doesn't he recognise me? Oh, of course, I'm wearing make-up and a wig! Thought Artemis.

''Fun time.'' she whispered, grinning like a Cheshire cat.


	2. Fun Time

**The Flashing Arrow**

**Two:**

Artemis felt her hand burn, but she ignored it. She pulled back the arrow, preparing to jump away from any, old enemy attack. She wouldn't let it rip just yet. It wasn't the right time. She hoped and wished that she could survive the next thirty minutes. Anything for him...

…...

School wasn't so bad. She'd made quite a few friends. That just proved they weren't all rich snobs and freaks, whether they had a scholarship like her or not.

And seeing Wally drool right over her was the most amusing part.

It made her smirk and sneer as he'd follow her around the school like a pet puppy dog.

One of her friends, Miranda, said how jealous she was of Artemis.

''You're so,oooooo lucky, Artie!'' she sighed, looking dreamily at the boy of her dreams, named Nathan, who was slurping milkshake with his mates in a dark corner of the classroom.

''Really? Seriously Miranda, I'd do anything to get rid of that guy. Too annoying, really, no offence, Artie.'' said another friend, Hannah, who had a crush on the millionaire's kid, Dick.

''Yeah.'' said Artemis,''He is _rather_ annoying.''

They all burst out laughing as Artemis used her posh accent.

A growl was heard from the fire exit in the room.

_Oh no! _Thought Artemis, watching Wally glare at them and shove past people into the corridor.

''If you love him, follow him!'' exclaimed another friend, an Indian called Judy, who suddenly gave Artemis a nasty shove out of the classroom.

Artemis didn't respond, but simply followed Wally silently down the empty hallway, into the gym...and her eyes widened in shock as he pulled off his shirt, revealing a tanned, muscular six-pack underneath.

''Wow.'' she whispered, gazing in awe and amazement at him.

How could she have been so horrible to a boy as hot as him?

She chewed on her lower lip, her cheeks going dark crimson-scarlet-red.

''Stop watching. It's called stalking.'' muttered Wally, turning to face Artemis.

''Um..'' said Artemis,''Listen, I didn't mean those things..''

''Of course you _rather _didn't, oh gosh, _Artie_, took me so long to realise I was not needed with_ you_, oh-Great-and-Powerful-Lordship!''

''Hey!''

''But it's true. You remind of a more bitchy version of this other girl...her name's Artemis, too, you know, what a strange coincidence!''


	3. Broken Inside I

**The Flashing Arrow**

**Three:**

Numbness was all Artemis could feel right now. The love of her life was going to die because she wouldn't let the arrow fire. She was so scared she'd aim in the wrong place, or at the wrong time. She decided to hang on to the last twenty minutes of life she had left, which was all the time left in the world to _save_ the world.

…...

Artemis thumped the pillow on her bed as she lied down to cry. She still had her friends. Dick Grayson was still absolutely head-over-heels for her. But Wally...he was gone. Forever.

Deeply depressed, she felt like Bella Swan from the Twilight Saga, when she just turned into a living zombie in New Moon when Edward Cullen left her. But not forever. He came back, there were a few more dramas and traumas, but soon they were living happily ever after.

Artemis sighed deeply, remembering she had training that day at Mount Justice. Thank_ God _Wally hadn't realised it was her. She would've been one dead duck.

She sucked in all the air she could, then got changed into her superhero uniform. She stared into the cracked mirror, the one where her sister, Jade, had once looked into, before their father, stupid Sportsmaster, had punched it into a million, zillion pieces.

She sighed again as she grabbed her quiver and bow.

'Sorry, mom. I guess I'm not as good and sweet as I thought I was.' she muttered to herself, opening the window and jumping out into the streets.

When Artemis arrived at Mount Justice, she was late. Very, very late. The team had just been briefed on their next mission.

They all turned to see Artemis, red in the face, flaming with embarrassment and a broken heart.

'Look who's late!' chortled Kid Flash, sniggering.

Artemis bit back her third big sigh.

_If only you knew, Wally,_ she thought, _If only you knew..._

She forced herself under the mask of pretence, something she thought she'd never have to use again after the attack on the cave a while back.

'So...' she mumbled, staring at the floor awkwardly, ' The mission?'

'Mm...take down this bad guy called Viper, who's trying to sell that venom stuff worldwide?' said M'Gann, aka Miss. Martian.

Artemis exhaled mentally, relieved that the pressurising feeling had finally faded away. She didn't even bother to spit back at Wally or say a quick 'thank you' to M'Gann.

The team climbed aboard the bio-ship, a long, ultra-awkward silence colouring each one of them in.

Artemis felt a pang at the side of her head. M'Gann was trying to see what was wrong with her. Artemis sent a powerful telepathic attack of a load of useless memories at the Martian, making M'Gann scream out in pain and shock-horror at being found out.

The bio-ship swerved from side to side, shuddering and shaking.

Each team member cried out in shock. Conner grabbed hold of M'Gann whilst Kaldur tried very desperately to take control of the crazy U.F.O.

Artemis lay back in her seat, closing her eyes and relaxing slightly.

Everything was as normal as it usually was.


	4. Broken Inside II

**The Flashing Arrow**

**Four:**

Artemis looked across at her fallen comrades, to the love of her life, to..._Viper_. He was here. He might kill her, but everyone else would live. She owed them her life for everything bad she'd done on this mission. Ten. More. Minutes.

…...

M'Gann wouldn't look Artemis in the eye again, neither try and read her thoughts and mind. She even blocked her off from their telepathic communication link thingie.

Artemis was totally pissed off.

She watched angrily as everyone's facial features would change dramatically every time they spoke with telepathy. Artemis glared at M'Gann, even more pissed off at the fact she'd thought that stupid green Martian was her only friend. Yeah right!

She had plenty more friends at school. Or were they just using her?

Artemis shivered at the very thought of that. They hadn't always been perfectly nice to her on that first day of school that day. She shivered again, remembering the awful, super-embarrassing incident that had happened in Afternoon Registration.

Miranda was tossing back her curly locks of midnight-black hair, moaning about her bad test results back in Year 6 in Primary School. Hannah and the other two friends, Joey and Barbara (BABS ALERT!), were chatting randomly about random stuff. Artemis went and sat down by Miranda.

That's when it happened.

'Why the _hell_ are you sitting by me?' screeched Miranda, jumping up and backing away from me like a bad disease.

'Miranda?' Artemis said, shocked.

'_Miranda?_ That's Minnie, to you, _bitch_! Now go sit with your other people-from the _slums_ of this effin' city!' she screamed, slapping poor, helpless Artemis away from her in a very babyish manner.

She'd never felt so embarrassed and awful in all of her life. And with Wally constantly ignoring her at school now, well, her whole life was starting to suck.

Artemis managed a small smile though. At least little KF was OK with her.

Well, he was, for five small, scary seconds.


End file.
